BY SACNILK

Mumbai Indians revived their chances of playoffs with a thumping 6-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab on at Holker Cricket Stadium, Indore on Friday (May 4). Thanks to Suryakumar Yadav's half-century and Krunal Pandya's blitzing 31* off 12 balls. It was a must-win game for Mumbai Indians to kept their hopes alive of playoffs.##Mumbai Indians now have six points in 9 matches and new fifth on points table along with Rajasthan Royals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore have played 8 games each.##, Chris Gayle and KL Rahul- Lethal combination##It was yet another day in the office for Chris Gayle as he notched up his 3rd fifty of this season along with a century. On the other Rahul continued his form. His six to Bumrah over cover, was shot of the innings.##However, Gayle took his time before he getting the batter of Hardik Pandya with a hat-trick of fours and then he launched a six out of the park off the bowling of Mitchell McClenaghan in last over of powerplay. The duo put on a 54-run stand before Rahul caught out in the deep mid wicket by JP Duminy off Mayank Markande. He made 24 off 20 balls (2 sixes & 1 four). It was fifth straight 50+ partnership between Gayle and Rahul, and became only second pair to score five successive 50+ stand in IPL after Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.##Another disappointment for Yuvraj Singh##Yuvraj Singh's poor form continued in this game also as he could score only 14 runs in his comeback match.##After being dropped in last match, he was promoted up to number 3 in batting order. He struggled to get runs and while batting on 2, survived a chance as Ishan Kishan dropped a tough one to his left off Pandya's bowling. However, Yuvraj tried to regain his lost touch as he hit Krunal to over long on for a six but got run-out after scored 14-ball 14.##Marcuis Stoinis' final assault on Hardik##Mumbai Indians' bowlers did well in middle overs by not giving them easy runs, courtesy some tight bowling from Bumrah. But Stoinis had some other plans. He took Hardik Pandya to the cleaners by hitting him 22 runs in last over of the innings. Remember, MI had given away 24 runs in last over against RCB and pay the price on sluggish wicket. KXIP were hoping the same but thankfully, it did not come back to bite MI like it did in the last game. Bumrah was the star with ball for MI. His spell 4-0-19-1 was responsible for restricted KXIP on 174.##A Watchful start from MI##Mumbai Indians did not repeat their mistakes which they did in last game against RCB by losing 3 wickets in powerplay. Their main focus in this game was kept wickets in hand. Despite few attacking shots from Suryakumar Yadav, MI were going good before Mujeeb Ur Rahman was introduced in last over of the powerplay and got Evin Lewis out on the 4th ball by edging to KL Rahul. It was Mujeeb's fourth wicket in powerplay- most by a spinner in this season.##Suryakumar Yadav gets his 3rd fifty plus score in this IPL##Suryakumar Yadav carried his good form into this game and notched his 3rd fifty plus score in this season. He reached to his fifty off just 34 balls. He got the support from Ishan Kishan (25 off 19 balls) and put on a 42-run stand for the second wickets. However, after scored 57 off 42 balls, Yadav was dismissed by Stoinis. Indians were still 95 runs needed off 50 balls before he departed.##Krunal Pandya- The Saviour##Hardik Pandya blasted 23 of 13 balls before he was clean bowled by Andrew Tye. But his dismissal brought Krunal on crease, whose 31* of 12 balls snatched the Victory from KXIP's hands. He took Stoinis in 18th over and blasted 14 runs off last three balls, followed by a six and four to Tye in 19th over. Skipper Rohit did enough well with a 14-ball 24. MI won by six-wickets with one over to spare.##Achievement for Rohit Sharma##This was the 17th time that Rohit has remained unbeaten in run-chase and all of them have ended on a winning note.##Suryakumar Yadav awarded Man Of The Match for his match-winning half-century.##For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.##Thanks for reading.

BY SACNILK

Royal Challengers Bangalore received a big boost ahead of their all-important match against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday (May 5), as their star batsman, AB de Villiers declared fit after missed out previous two games due to viral fever.##De Villiers likely to replace his national side teammate wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock who has flown back home to attend a wedding.##"AB is back fit, Quinton is away from this game. Quinton has returned home for a wedding so he is unavailable for this match so probably it's an easy decision for us to make,"head coach Daniel Vettori said on Friday (May 4).##However Vettori has confirmed that Quinton will be joining the squad ahead of RCB's next match against table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday (May 7).##AB is RCB's second highest run-getter in this season of IPL after Virat Kohli(349 runs) with 280 runs an average of 56. His top score of this IPl came against Delhi Daredevils earlier this season where he finished on unbeaten 90 off 39 balls.##AB's return will really boost RCB's confidence as they are currently sitting on 6th spot with 6 points in 8 matches. For more and latest news about IPL 2018, Stay tuned to us. ## Thanks for Reading.

BY SACNILK

Kolkata Knight Riders found another hero in Shubman Gill. His performance last night against Chennai Super Kings proved that he is ready to take any responsibility thrown to him. However, it was Gill's maiden fifty in IPL but his maturity and understanding situations were very impressive. He was hitting the ball along with ground without taking any risk yet he was striking with 158.33.## "Obviously, I'm pleased to have been promoted to number 4 today. We were just talking (Himself and Karthik) that we need to rotate the strike in the middle overs, it was crucial to see off the spinners. It was not really to target him (Asif). We played accordingly to the merit-if the balls were there, we just went for it. KKR crowd is the best crowd, they always support us. It has been a really great experience so far and when you are coached by Kallis and Katich, you have so much to learn from them," said Gill.##When Dinesh Karthik was asked about young players performing well, he said##"Credit to the franchise. They picked a lot of Under-19 players. They are really skilled players. It's a little harsh on him (Gill). The number of times, he's been able to hit the boundary off the first ball. That boy is special. I don't want to hype it up and put extra pressure on him. I can see a lot of years of India blues in him,"## "I picked it up early, that we can bowl a lot of spin on this wicket. Our bowlers are so confident. They wanted to bowl. You need to be pushing boundaries. He (Narine) is a thorough all-rounder. Provide impetus at the top and also bowled the pressure overs. He's a great player to have on the team, "Karthik added.##However it was KKR's spinners, who dominated CSK's batsmen and brought back KKR into the game. Led by Narine, who was the pickup bowler for KKR.##When he was asked if he was bowling all-rounder or batting all-rounder, to this he said##"I'll stick to my bowling. That made me the cricketer I'm today. Nice to come out with a win. Getting the freedom to play my shots, being free. That's the key. They back me whatever happens. He (DK) relies highly on spinners. It's a total team effort. Seamers did the job early and we finished it off. Everyone takes their success differently. For me, it's to be as humble as possible. I'm enjoying my game with good performances,"##It was KKR's fifth win in nine matches and they are currently sitting on 3rd spot in the points table with 10 points.##For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.##Thanks for reading.

BY SACNILK

Kolkata Knight Riders put on an all-round show to beat Chennai Super Kings by 6- wickets at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Thursday (May 3). This win lifted KKR to the 3rd spot in points table. KKR, after winning the all-important toss and put CSK to bat. CSK off to a flying start before Piyush Chawla dismissed Faf du Plessis (27 off 15 balls) on 48. At the other end, Shane Watson continued his good form before he pulled a rank long hop straight to deep-midwicket for 36. Raina and Rayudu followed Watson after sedate cameos, courtesy some excellent bowling from Sunil Narine and Kuldeep Yadav in middle overs. But MS Dhoni's 25-balls 43 lifted CSK to 177 after 20 overs.## Chasing 178, Chris Lynn again got out cheaply. He made 12 off 6 with two maximum. But some lusty blows from Narine pushed KKR to 40 runs where they lost Uthappa on 6. KKR promoted Shubman Gill to no.4 and that proved to be a masterstroke as he finished on unbeaten 56 off 35 balls and his partnership of 36-balls 83* with skipper Dinesh Karthik (18-ball 45*) guided KKR home comfortably in the end.## Where did this match slip from CSK despite solid start## In between 10 and 15 overs, CSK were going great at the end of 10-over mark with 90 on board? But suddenly they found difficult to get runs and managed only 31 runs in next 5 overs. On the other hand, KKR scored 51 in this period and that proved to be costly for CSK in the end. ## Spin The trio- Game Changers For KKR## Spinners have been KKR's biggest strength so far in this IPL. Their performance against CSK was a great example of their strength. Karthik opted to go with Chawla straightaway in second over. A beautiful googly stunned du Plessis, a short ball from Narine did it for Watson. The combined figures of the trio read 12-0-89-5. It was spinners who restricted CSK to 177.## Shubman Gill- Rising Star Of IPL 2018##Shubman Gill came with high reputation after his performance in Under-19 World Cup, where he was named Man Of The Tournament. However he didn't get a chance to play up the order in previous games for KKR but when he got, he grabbed this opportunity with both hands. He came out to bat when KKR lost 2 wickets on 40. He didn't take too much time to get going and hit 3 boundaries to Shane Watson. His half-whip, half-sweep against Harbhajan Singh, was shot of the innings. Gill showed immense maturity and potential in his maiden IPL fifty. His partnership with Karthik comfortably took KKR to win and helped his team to garner two crucial points.##Vintage Dhoni##Undoubtedly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is playing his best cricket in this IPL. It must be such a sight for cricket lovers to sew Dhoni turn the clock back and reminds us his vintage hitting days. Despite suffering from back pain, he continued played such innings an important stage. And against KKR, was another exhibition of clean striking. Shivam Mavi and Mitchell Johnson tried to test him with short balls but he sent them into stands. In his 25-balls 43 innings, he hit 2 sixes to Johnson, One to Mavi and One to Kuldeep. He was struck with 172. This was the mark that MS Dhoni is well and truly back.## Sunil Narine awarded Man Of The Match for his match-changing spell (4-0-20-2)## For More Updates And News, Stay Tuned To Us.## Thanks For Reading.

BY SACNILK

It was a great game of cricket at Kotla where home side came out on top after 4 runs win over Rajasthan Royal on May 2. Daredevils were badly needed this win as they won only two games in their previous eight games.##"It was a very important win for us. This wicket was very good and even 200 was very less. Bowlers kept their nerve and we came out strong. I dropped the catch but we won the match. We should look forward," said Iyer in the presentation ceremony.##Rishabh Pant who played a big role in DD's win, has been sensational throughout this IPL. Prithvi Shaw also has been in good touch. His 47 off 25 balls was just an example.##Iyer added," Start that Shaw is giving is amazing and Pant's role in the middle is pivotal. It is important for us to win all the matches. Ponting is positive guy and no one is thinking negative in the dressing room,"##When he was asked about difficulties while bowling in such conditions##"It is difficult to bowl with ground being small, it is really tough to control when batsman Start hitting,"##On the other hand, Trent Boult has also been excellent with ball for DD. He picked two wickets against RR and become leading wicket-taker in this IPL.##"To get few matches and test my skill set is good fun. It is a learning curve. Obviously, trying to back me and trying to pick brains of some people. We are off to Hyderabad tomorrow. We will see how it goes there. We are taking it game by game. Pant is a quality and fearless cricketer. He goes out there and plays his shots," Boult said while receiving Purple cap.##"It is going great for me. The win is more important for me. No added responsibility for being the retained player. I am using some different tricks to counter the bowlers. We are being positive because we know if we lose one more game we are out of the tournament. The intent is same in every match we play," Pant said while receiving Man of the match.##Delhi Daredevils looking more positive than they were in earlier matches. This might be the effect of Iyer captaincy but DD will take this. With 5 more games to go, DD have to win all five matches to qualify for the playoffs.##For More Updates And News, Stay Tuned To Us.##Thanks For Reading.

BY SACNILK

Delhi Daredevils kept their hopes alive to beat Rajasthan Royals by 4 runs (DLS) at Kotla, Delhi on Wednesday (May 2). It was 18-overs per side clash. Under the pump, Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant's cameos gave the hosts a commanding 196 for 6 in 17.1 overs, before rain struck again. Chasing revised target of 151 off 12 overs, Jos Buttler threatened Daredevils to make it two in two but Trent Boult kept his head to defend 15 runs in last over and gave DD only third win of this season.##It was Rajasthan Royals who won the toss and opted Delhi to bat first. DD couldn't start well as Munro gone off first ball he faced. Munro's wicket brought Iyer on crease. Him and Shaw put on a 73-run stand off 40 balls. Before that it was Prithvi Shaw who gave the momentum to DD's innings, hammering quick 47 off 25 (4 fours & 4 sixes). He take on Kulkarni in his second over and scored 16 runs in that over. Jaydev Unadkat was next in firing line, hit for a couple of boundaries and a six in his first over by Shaw. Shaw hit Shreyas Gopal for a six but trying to hit another he handed a catch in next ball. He missed out a well deserved half century.##Daredevils needed to kept the momentum Shaw had launched. And the in-form duo of Pant and Iyer not only kept the momentum but also gave Daredevils a mammoth 196 for 6 in 17.1 overs before the rain stopped the play again. The pair added 92 runs off 43 balls. Pant hammered 67 off 29 balls. He played with 360° angle to get his fastest T20 fifty, that came off 23 balls. Iyer also reached to his fourth fifty in this IPL off 34 balls. The third wicket partnership along with Vijay Shankar cameo, ensured that they had enough on the board. Shankar remained not out on 17 off 6 balls.##To chase this target down, RR needed Jos Buttler to fire. He didn't disappoint and welcomed Avesh Khan, Liam Plunket, and Amit Mishra- with a six each until he hammered 18-ball fifty for himself- his first of the season. He particularly take on Avesh Khan where he hit him for 3 sixes and a four. He scored 67 off 26 balls before he stumped by Pant of Mishra.##However, D'Arcy Short kept RR in chase with flurry of sixes to part-timer Glenn Maxwell. The bowling change almost backfired with Short hammering the first three balls for sixes. But Maxwell had the last laugh as he got him on next ball. Short after slow start, went on to scored 44 off 25 balls.##Trent boult was star with ball for DD. He picked 2 big wickets of Samson and Stokes in a thrilling contest. He successfully defend 15 runs in last over despite Iyer dropped Karishanppa Gowtham and went for four in such crucial stage.##Boult conceded 26 runs in his 3 overs and awarded Man Of The Match for his brilliant spell of bowling. Rishabh Pant received Orange Cap (Leading run getter).##For More Updates And News, Stay Tuned To Us.##Thanks For Reading.

BY SACNILK

Royal Challengers Bangalore were there again. But this time, unlike previous games, RCB's bowlers put on a commendable show to give RCB a much-needed win on Tuesday (May 1). They were in the same situation from where everything went dramatically away from them in each of the previous seven games.## "Jeez, we needed that win. Very important win at such important stage of the tournament. In the last couple of games, we were picking up. Tonight was an occasion we need that two points. This is the push we needed. We might have spoken about too many things in the past. To the bowlers, we said 'back your gut feel to bowl yorkers, take your field,' to confuse them, doesn't help too much. Everyone bowled really well," said Virat in the presentation ceremony.##RCB's batsmen proved their worth again. A collective performance from the top order and then de Grandhomme's late blitz give bowlers 10 runs extra to defend.##"Colin's over with the bat. The one over that JP bowled and Manan targeted, that was game-changing. Manan took the game away from them. We needed impact performance to get those two points. We had good intent, results are around the corner. The result went our way. We should take this confidence forward," added Virat.##While RCB were batting, MI tried a lot of variations. Cutters and slower ones used in abundance. That made stroke-making extremely tough.## RCB discussed the impact that those variations had on their batting during the innings break.##"Yeah, it was discussed. First and foremost we went to our strongest skill set and that was trying to ball swing, "Tim Southee said.##He said,"Nice to finally get a win on the board. We've come close in the last two games. There was a little bit of swing, which you have never seen here earlier games. I think we scraped through to a good score. Last over was crucial. Colin's innings gave us the momentum. We still had to bowl well to defend this score. The belief's still good. We have come close, nice to get over the line. It's nice to get a win under the belt,"##Meanwhile, Time Southee awarded Man Of The Match. He led RCB bowling to defend that total.##It's taken a month, but RCB bowlers finally reached a point where they know what redemption feels like. RCB still has the too long way to go but after this win, their confidence only will boost.##For More Updates And News, Stay Tuned To Us.##Thanks For Reading

BY SACNILK

Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Mumbai Indians by 14 runs to register their third win in VIVO IPL 2018 at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore on Tuesday (May 1). Thanks to some excellent bowling by Mohammed Siraj and Tim Southee in the death. With this third win in eight matches, RCB moved up to 5th spot in points table.##So near yet so far##After losing two close games, RCB were desperately needed this win to stay alive in this competition.##After winning the toss, MI opted to bowl first on a wicket which was on a slower side. RCB off to a decent start. However, MI put pressure on both the openers with accurate line and length. But Manan Vohra hit two fours and as many sixes to Duminy to break the shekels in fourth over of the innings. After putting 38-runs stand for the first wicket, Quinton de Kock got out to McClenaghan on the last ball of the 5th over. Manan Vohra scored 45 off 31 balls (2 fours & 4 sixes) before he got LBW out to young Mayank Markande. After losing 61 for 2, Virat Kohli and McCullum built a partnership and put pressure back on MI. The duo put on a 60-runs standoff 35 balls for the third wicket. RCB were looking good at 139 for 3 after 17 overs with Kohli still at the crease. But Hardik Pandya nearly took the game away from RCB by picking 3 wickets in 18th overs. RCB lost 4 wickets in space of 4 runs. Thanks to de Grandhomme whose 23* off 10 balls lift RCB to 167.##Defending 167, RCB put pressure straightaway on MI by picking 3 wickets on 21 inside 4 overs. MI couldn't recover from this and despite Hardik Pandya's second fifty of IPL, fell short 14 runs from the target. Umesh Yadav and Southee were the stars with the ball for RCB. Umesh Conceded 29 runs and picked two wickets in 4 overs. Whereas Southee was more economical and conceded only 25 runs and took 2 wickets in 4 overs.## Turning point of the match##The last over of RCB's innings, in which de Grandhomme scored 24 runs including 3 big sixes. That over proved to be the turning point of the match as MI were needed 25 to win in last over and managed only 10 runs.##Hardik Pandya-lone warrior for MI##On a day where MI's top order collapsed, Hardik Pandya stood out for them. His 50 off 42 balls, kept MI in the chase till the last over. Earlier while bowling, it was Hardik who was responsible for RCB's middle over collapse where he picked three wickets in 18th over of RCB's innings and restricted them on 167. However he couldn't win for MI, but his all-round performance surely won the hearts of many.##Tim Southee awarded Man Of The Match for his brilliant bowling.##For More Updates And News, Stay Tuned To Us.##Thanks For Reading.

BY SACNILK

Delhi Daredevils back to winning streak after three consecutive losses, to handed Kolkata Knight Riders a massive 55-run defeat at a packed Kotla, on Friday (April 27). Thanks to Newly-crowned Shreyas Iyer, who led from the front with blitzing 93* off 40 balls and 18-year old Prithvi Shaw, who set the stage for Iyer with classical 62 off 44 balls. This was the second win for DD in 7 matches and placed themselves in 7th spot with 4 points.##New captain, new hopes for DD##It was the first game for Shreyas Iyer as a captain, and he couldn't ask for any better start than this. Firstly, he himself led DD to a massive 219 for 4 in 20 overs and later on, bowlers did the job for DD by restricting KKR on 164 for 9 in 20 overs.##Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir(DD's regular captain) stepped down from DD's captaincy two days ago. And named Iyer their new captain. He didn't disappointed with his performance and they will be hoping that they carried this performance into next matches also.##How good were Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer while batting##Phenomenal, after winning the toss, Dinesh Karthik opted Delhi to bat first. Shaw and Munro gave DD a solid start by putting 59-run stand for the first wicket. Munro was more aggressive in first six overs. He scored quick fire 33 off 18 balls (4 fours & two sixes)before he bowled out by Shivam Mavi. Munro's wicket brought Iyer to the crease and put on a 68-run partnership off 42 balls with Shaw.##Prithvi Shaw's six over mid-on to Mitchell Johnson grabbed the attention of commentators. He hit two sixes to Johnson and scored 62 off 42 balls (7 fours & 2 sixes)before he bowled out by Piyush Chawla. Iyer scored 32 off 22 balls in partnership with Shaw. But once Shaw fell, Iyer sifted his gears to bring up his next 61 runs off just 18 balls. He collected 28-runs (Including 4 sixes and 1 four) in last over of Mavi. Iyer hit 10 sixes and 3 fours in his knock. His partnership (73 off 31 balls)with Maxwell (27 off 18 balls) ensured that DD post a massive total.##Problems for KKR while chasing##After conceding too many runs, the one thing KKR needed to chase this target down was to maximize their powerplay. Narine did for a while by hitting 3 sixes and a four. But losing Lynn, Uthappa, and Rana in cheaply, didn't help their cause. They lost 4 wickets in the powerplay. Young Shubman Gill and Andre Russell threatened DD for a while. The duo put on a 64-run stand off 36 balls before Gill run out in trying to take the second run. He made 37 off 29 balls. After wicket of Gill, Russell was trying to take strike as much as possible but the pressure of dot balls got Russell out. He was bowled out by Avesh Khan after scored 44 off 30 balls (3 fours & 4 sixes). KKR could manage only 164 for 9 in 20 overs. Amit Mishra and Avesh Khan were star with ball and grabbed two wickets each.##Achievement for the Shaw and Iyer##Prithvi Shaw becomes joint youngest player to get his maiden IPL fifty (18 year & 169 days).##93* by Shreyas Iyer - the highest score by any player on captaincy debut.##Iyer awarded Man Of The Match for his captains knock.##For More Updates And News, Stay Tuned To Us.##Thanks For Reading.

BY SACNILK

Gautam Gambhir has stepped down from Delhi Daredevils captaincy. He took this decision after DD lost five out of six matches so far. Iyer will take charge from Gambhir for rest of the IPL 2018.##Gambhir, the two-time IPL champion, was brought by Delhi Daredevils in players auction earlier this year. But he couldn't repeat his former Franchise winning story for Delhi Daredevils as DD found themselves at bottom of the points table.## "I take full responsibility for the position we are in. And looking at the position, I have decided to step down from captaincy, I still feel that we have the team to turn things around this IPL, "Gambhir said while addressing Media.##However, Gambhir's form too has been subjecting of concern in this IPL. Despite scoring only fifty-plus score in the first match, he has scored 15,8,3, and 4 in next four matches.##"Absolutely it is my decision. I was the one who initiated the meeting with team owners. I thought that I haven't contributed enough and at the same time, the performance of the team. I had to take the responsibility being the leader of the ship. So I feel that it was the right time.##We are very much in the competition. It was absolutely my decision, no pressure from the franchise. They have been absolutely supportive of it. Sometimes when your conscience says it's right time you just take that call," added Gambhir. ## (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); ## Gambhir's replacement as a captain, Iyer will be the 11th captain to lead DD in IPL. He has been with Delhi for a while and said that he is looking forward to taking the challenges," I just got the news today afternoon and I wasn't thinking much about it. I'm loving the responsibility they have put upon me and also the faith they have shown to me. I love challenges and it's a great opportunity for me to prove myself and get the team to the highest possible level,"#Ricky Ponting, DD coach said that Iyer would not be under any kind of pressure.##"It's my job, it's Gambhir's job, and it's all the players'job to make Shreyas job as easy as possible on the field. There is no extra pressure on Shreyas at all. He is going to play the way he's been playing. He ha's been playing terrifically well and that's what we want to create the team. But it's just a great challenge that we've got and with a new young captain, we are all excited to see how it works out for us in the next few weeks," Ponting added.##This is the big blow to DD's expectations, who haven't yet featured in IPL final. Their best run was in 2008 and 2009 when they reached the semi-finals. DD have been very poor since last two IPL, where they reduced to the sixth position. Now they will be hoping that with the new captain, their fortune will also change.##For More Updates And News, Stay Tuned To Us.##Thanks For Reading.

BY SACNILK

Sunrisers Hyderabad stunned Mumbai Indians by handed them a 31 runs defeat at packed Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday (April 24). Chasing a modest target of 119, proved to be a hard nut to crack as they bowled out on the lowest total of VIVO IPL 2018. It was yet another heartbreak for MI as they collapsed to their fifth defeat in six matches. SRH again proved why they are regarded as best bowling attack of IPL after defending the second-lowest total of IPL history.##How MI made the mess of it##Chasing 119, should never that difficult for the power-packed Mumbai Indians. But some excellent bowling and poor shot selection made this chase difficult for them.##Evin Lewis, who struggled against swinging balls throughout in this IPL, got out to Sandeep Sharma's out swinging ball. He made only 5 off 9 balls. Ishan Kishan, who played blitzing innings in the previous game, caught out by Deepak Hooda while trying to hit over long off to Mohammed Nabi. Kishan couldn't open his account after playing 3 balls. Rohit Sharma's poor form, despite one inning of 94 against RCB, continued in this match as he caught in slip by Shikhar Dhawan of Shakib's ball. After losing 3 down on 22, MI needed a partnership. Suryakumar Yadav and Krunal Pandya played sensibly. Krunal hit 3 fours to Siddarth Kaul. After putting 40-run stand for the 4th wickets, Krunal got LBW to Rashid Khan. Umpire gave it not out but confident Rasid reviewed it and got him out. The wicket of Krunal open the door again for SRH, and this time they tightened the screw this time by picking Pollard and Yadav in two successive overs and followed McClenaghan and Markande in next over. After 16 overs, MI were 80 for 8. But Hardik Pandya was still at the crease. He played maiden over of Rashid Khan of 17th over of innings. But the pressure was building, Hardik played in the air and caught by Basil Thump at mid off. With Hardik's wicket, MI's last hope had also been gone, and bowled out on 87 in 18.5 overs.##How good SRH was with ball ##Outstanding, after putting the disappointing show with the bat, SRH came hard on MI with the ball. Rasid Khan was the star with the ball yet again. He conceded only 11 runs in 4 overs and picked two big wickets of Krunal and Pollard. Sandeep Sharma was excellent with the new ball. He was troubling Lewis regularly and in the end got him out. His spell 3-0-9-1 was outstanding at the beginning of the innings. Kaul and Shakib were also good and shared 4 wickets with each other.## What positive can take MI from this defeat##Despite suffered batting collapse, MI's bowling was up to mark. Mitchell McClenaghan was outstanding with the new ball. He picked two wickets and conceded 22 runs in 3 overs. Young Mayank Markande continued to impress with his mystery balls. He picked two wickets and conceded 15 runs in 3 overs and he also regained Purple Cap (Leading wicket taker). While batting Suryakumar Yadav played sensibly in his shorts of 34 off 38 balls and shone good character in difficult situations. And also their Fielding was much improved than their previous games.##Where both teams stand now in points table## SRH with this fourth win in six games, found themselves in top 3 with 8 points. On the other hand, MI reduced to 7th spot after 5th loss in 6 matches.##Rasid Khan awarded Man Of The Match for his match-winning spell and Kane Williamson received Orange Cap (leading run-getter).##For More Updates And News, Stay Tuned To Us.##Thanks For Reading.

BY SACNILK

Kings XI Punjab held their nerve to beat Delhi Daredevils by 4-runs in yet another last over the finish in VIVO IPL 2018 at Firoz Shah Kotla Stadium, Delhi on April 23. With this fifth win in six matches, KXIP move up the points table. DD found themselves at bottom of the points table as they lost the fifth game in six matches played so far.##How much did pitch offer to the bowlers##This pitch had plenty to offer to the bowlers, especially to the pacers, where out off 16 wickets fell, 13 were taken by fast bowlers. Liam Plunket and Ankit Rajpoot took best of it and share five wickets with each other.##Did DD had a chance to win##Yes, especially after restricted KXIP on a modest total of 143. They carried this momentum into their batting as Under-19 sensation and debutant Prithvi Shaw made quick fire 22 off 10 balls before he bowled out by Ankit Rajpoot. DD promoted Maxwell up the order and he shone good intent by hitting a six and four but that didn't last long as he caught by Tye of Rajput. Gambhir also was struggling for runs and scored only 4 runs off 13 balls before he got out by Tye. Rishabh Pant, who played a blitzing knock of 85 off 48 balls against RCB, couldn't do much in this game and scored only 4 runs before he bowled out by Mujeeb. Christian also run out on 6 and at this stage, DD lost half of their side on 76 in 12 overs. But Shreyas Iyer and Rahul Tewatia put on a 47-run stand for the 6th wicket and brought back DD into the game. However, Tewatia got out to Andrew Tye on the last ball of the 18th over. He made 24 off 21 balls (a six & four). With 21 needed in last 2 overs, Barinder Sran, who was expensive in his first three overs, gave just 4 runs in his last over and that proved to be the turning point of the match. However, Ashwin played a gamble by giving last over to Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Iyer collected 12 runs in first five balls with a six and four, but he couldn't hit the boundary on the last ball and caught out by Finch at long off. Iyer was disappointed as DD lost in close encounter yet again. However, Iyer was top scorer of the match by scoring 57 off 45 balls. Ankit Rajpoot was the pickup bowler with figures of 4-0-23-2.## How much KXIP missed Chris Gayle##Very much, after winning the toss, Gautam Gambhir opted Punjab to bat first. Aaron Finch came to open with KL Rahul but his poor form continued in this game also as he got out to Avesh Khan in second over of the innings. He made only two runs. However Rahul continued his good form and scored quick fire 23 off 15 balls before he got out to Debutant Liam Plunket.##Although, Agarwal, Nair, Miller they all got the start but found difficult to get boundaries as DD's bowlers bowling with good line and length. Despite a good start, KXIP only manage 143 for 8 in 20 overs. Karun Nair was the top scorer 34 off 32 balls. Liam Plunket was the star with the ball as he conceded only 17 runs in 4 overs and picked 3 wickets.##Ankit Rajpoot awarded Man of the match for his match-winning spell.##Stats of this match##Prithvi Shaw becomes the youngest player to open the innings in IPL history.##Liam Plunket's bowing figures 4-0-17-3 are best for DD on debut.##KXIP becomes the only team to defend the lowest total at Kotla.##For More Updates And News, Stay Tuned To Us.##Thanks For Reading.